BigSmooth
Lifer
Oh, you were finished? Well, then allow me to retort. 🙂
<< 'Sheed is one of the most dominant offensive players in the league >>
<< Give me a break. He's not even one of the most dominant offensive players at the 4 position. >>
Did you see the Portland-Minnesota series last year? Wallace clearly outplayed Kevin Garnett at the offensive end. He has those long arms with incredible leaping ability, good range, as well as the turnaround fade that can't be stopped. And if you don't consider Garnett a "dominant offensive player", then I don't know who is.
<< He's talented but, what good is that if he can't even keep himself on the court. >>
I agree with you there.
<< The same could be said about Rider but, he seems to be making an effort to change that and even if it doesn't work out we aren't really going to lose that mouch. >>
Rider and Wallace are at very different points in their careers. I think Rasheed right now is a better player than Rider ever was. He may be hotheaded, but he plays within the system and is not a selfish player on the court.
<< Pippen can score when he wants to, and even Stoudamire lit up the Lakers a couple of times last year. >>
<< I thought that we proved last year that Scottie was Phil's (and Jordan's) bitch. >>
Now you're one kidding yourself. If you think the Lakers went out and won the Portland series, you're just wrong. Portland gave away the game in the fourth quarter of game 7. That is not just Pippen's fault, it was the whole team not making their shots.
<< Stoudamire can't even light up a light bulb so I don't know where you came up with the idea that he can or will be effective against the Lakers much improved defense. >>
I don't recall exactly, but I'm pretty sure Damon went for 20+ a couple times during the regular season against the Lakers. The Lakers have trouble defending small, quick guards, and that's a fact. Of course, Stoudamire has more trouble defending big guards, and I think he is a weak link in a matchup against the Lakers, but I won't get into that.
<< I keep hearing about "Portland improving itself" but, I don't get it. You didn't have enough minutes for everyone last year (which is why Grant left) so you stockpiled more players that you can't get on the floor? >>
If having Grant leave is what it took to get Shawn Kemp and Dale Davis, so be it. He was never a favorite of mine. Hard worker, but kind of a 'tweener size. Having too many talented players is a problem most NBA teams would love to have.
<< Contrast that with how the Lakers improved, they added size in Horace Grant, Greg Foster, Mark Madsen, and that Euro. >>
I'm contrasting... and it looks better for the Blazers. The four guys you just mentioned are together worth... about one Horace Grant, the only player of any worth in that bunch. I'm certain ol' Phil Jackson would probably trade those four for Kemp and Davis.
<< More importantly with Travis Knight and Glen Rice gone the Lakers improve their transition game as well as their defense (which was one of the best in the league last year). >>
One of the best, perhaps, but Portland's was better.
[/i]<< This comes with a small cost to scoring but, I think that the points will be neutralized by improved defense, more transition baskets due to a more athletic team, and Kobe stepping his game up to a new level with his vastly improved jumper. >>[/i]
I hope it's a small cost to scoring. Other than Shaq and Kobe, none of the Lakers averaged more than 8.1 ppg last year (Grant). Hopefully for you, Rider can fill that scoring gap. If he goes crazy again, good luck. Kobe's jumper is deadly, I'll grant you, but it is still somewhat streaky in that can easily hit 8 in a row but if he is off, nothing will fall for him. I do think that Kobe will be the best player in the NBA in the near future, but MJ never had "off nights".
<< Finally we have the Rider experiment which is intriguing but, here is why I think it will work. If he was only interested in money he would of signed somewhere else for considerably more and if he didn't care about basketball then he could of just retired. He's interested in winning and thus he naturally chose the Lakers. I think that he's finally made the same decision that Chris Webber made a few years back and that's going to pay off for both sides. >>
All I can say about that is, good luck. He has had the same song and dance every time he has joined a new team. The guy was late to his first ever NBA practice. Tell you anything about him?
<< 'Sheed is one of the most dominant offensive players in the league >>
<< Give me a break. He's not even one of the most dominant offensive players at the 4 position. >>
Did you see the Portland-Minnesota series last year? Wallace clearly outplayed Kevin Garnett at the offensive end. He has those long arms with incredible leaping ability, good range, as well as the turnaround fade that can't be stopped. And if you don't consider Garnett a "dominant offensive player", then I don't know who is.
<< He's talented but, what good is that if he can't even keep himself on the court. >>
I agree with you there.
<< The same could be said about Rider but, he seems to be making an effort to change that and even if it doesn't work out we aren't really going to lose that mouch. >>
Rider and Wallace are at very different points in their careers. I think Rasheed right now is a better player than Rider ever was. He may be hotheaded, but he plays within the system and is not a selfish player on the court.
<< Pippen can score when he wants to, and even Stoudamire lit up the Lakers a couple of times last year. >>
<< I thought that we proved last year that Scottie was Phil's (and Jordan's) bitch. >>
Now you're one kidding yourself. If you think the Lakers went out and won the Portland series, you're just wrong. Portland gave away the game in the fourth quarter of game 7. That is not just Pippen's fault, it was the whole team not making their shots.
<< Stoudamire can't even light up a light bulb so I don't know where you came up with the idea that he can or will be effective against the Lakers much improved defense. >>
I don't recall exactly, but I'm pretty sure Damon went for 20+ a couple times during the regular season against the Lakers. The Lakers have trouble defending small, quick guards, and that's a fact. Of course, Stoudamire has more trouble defending big guards, and I think he is a weak link in a matchup against the Lakers, but I won't get into that.
<< I keep hearing about "Portland improving itself" but, I don't get it. You didn't have enough minutes for everyone last year (which is why Grant left) so you stockpiled more players that you can't get on the floor? >>
If having Grant leave is what it took to get Shawn Kemp and Dale Davis, so be it. He was never a favorite of mine. Hard worker, but kind of a 'tweener size. Having too many talented players is a problem most NBA teams would love to have.
<< Contrast that with how the Lakers improved, they added size in Horace Grant, Greg Foster, Mark Madsen, and that Euro. >>
I'm contrasting... and it looks better for the Blazers. The four guys you just mentioned are together worth... about one Horace Grant, the only player of any worth in that bunch. I'm certain ol' Phil Jackson would probably trade those four for Kemp and Davis.
<< More importantly with Travis Knight and Glen Rice gone the Lakers improve their transition game as well as their defense (which was one of the best in the league last year). >>
One of the best, perhaps, but Portland's was better.
[/i]<< This comes with a small cost to scoring but, I think that the points will be neutralized by improved defense, more transition baskets due to a more athletic team, and Kobe stepping his game up to a new level with his vastly improved jumper. >>[/i]
I hope it's a small cost to scoring. Other than Shaq and Kobe, none of the Lakers averaged more than 8.1 ppg last year (Grant). Hopefully for you, Rider can fill that scoring gap. If he goes crazy again, good luck. Kobe's jumper is deadly, I'll grant you, but it is still somewhat streaky in that can easily hit 8 in a row but if he is off, nothing will fall for him. I do think that Kobe will be the best player in the NBA in the near future, but MJ never had "off nights".
<< Finally we have the Rider experiment which is intriguing but, here is why I think it will work. If he was only interested in money he would of signed somewhere else for considerably more and if he didn't care about basketball then he could of just retired. He's interested in winning and thus he naturally chose the Lakers. I think that he's finally made the same decision that Chris Webber made a few years back and that's going to pay off for both sides. >>
All I can say about that is, good luck. He has had the same song and dance every time he has joined a new team. The guy was late to his first ever NBA practice. Tell you anything about him?
